“The investment climate in Azerbaijan is very positive. Foreign investments and local investments are duly protected. And we hope that there will be more investments in the non-energy sector, because most of the investments we receive are in the oil and gas sector,” said President Ilham Aliyev as he was interviewed by China's CGTN TV channel, News.az reports.

“This was natural, and we understand it. But now for us, it's time to think more about diversification — not to actually think, but to act. And therefore, investments in the non-energy sector, in infrastructure, in transportation infrastructure, and in particular in renewable sources of energy, are one of our priorities. We are now in the final stage of the inaugural phase of the free economic zone in the region of Alat, close to Baku. We hope that Chinese companies will pay attention to these opportunities, and of course, being situated between East and West along the traditional Silk Route creates a lot of opportunities for us,” the head of state added.